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A short history of reactors
A short history of reactors Janne Wallenius Reactor Physics, KTH Objectives of this meeting The origin of nuclear power was considerably more diversified than the existing variation in commercial reactor types may indicate After this lecture you will be able to: Identify different early reactor types and explain their purposes Explain the commercial success of LWRs as compared to other reactors Identify historical reactor types that may be of interest for future developments Chicago Pile 1: CP-1 Graphite moderated Natural uranium metallic fuel Air cooling Critical: December1942 Motivate choices of materials! LOPO (Low Power reactor) Third nuclear reactor Located in Los Alamos Water moderated Fuel & moderator: Aqueous solution of enriched uranyl sulfate Critical in May 1944. Clementine First fast neutron reactor Located in Los Alamos Mercury cooled Metallic plutonium fuel Critical in late 1946 EBR-1: Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 First reactor to produce electricity Fast neutron spectrum Sodium-potassium coolant (NaK) Enriched metallic uranium fuel Critical in 1951 Purpose: proof of principle for breeding Partial core melt in 1955 due to bowing of fuel elements. BORAX Boiling water reactor experiment Untermyer predicts stability of boiling water systems in 1952. BORAX-I built by Argonne labs Idaho in 1953. Thermal power: 1.4 MW 70 excursion tests proved stability of concept. Final test was lead to deliberate destruction of the rector, with fuel elements found up to 100 meters distance from the site. BORAX-III produced 12 MW thermal and 2 MWelectric energy. Provided electricity to light the city of Arco in July1955 APS-1 (Soviet Union) Graphite moderated, light water reactor cooled (prototype for commercial RBMK) 5 MWe power, provided electricity and district heating to Obninsk from July 1954. Thus it was the first reactor of “commercial” utility. Calder Hall (United Kingdom) Gas cooled, graphite moderated reactor Power: 50 MWe Coolant: Pressurised CO2 Fuel: metallic natural uranium (MAGNOX refers to clad made of magnesium oxide). Connected to grid: August 1956 Dual purpose: Pu for weapons & electricity Closed in 2003 as longest operating commercial reactor Shippingport Pressurised water reactor, based on submarine technology Light water coolant, highly enriched metallic alloy uranium fuel Natural uranium oxide blanket 230 MW thermal, 60 MWe. Connected to Pittsburgh grid December 1957 Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium cycle extensively investigated in USA during the sixties. Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium cycle extensively investigated in USA during the sixties. Three commercial LWRs operated on Th-235U fuels: Elk River, Indian Point-1 and Shippingport Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium cycle extensively investigated in USA during the sixties. Three commercial LWRs operated on Th-235U fuels: Elk River, Indian Point-1 and Shippingport Fall of uranium prices combined with reprocessing related problems made the commercial interest for thorium to vanish. Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium cycle extensively investigated in USA during the sixties. Three commercial LWRs operated on Th-235U fuels: Elk River, Indian Point-1 and Shippingport Fall of uranium prices combined with reprocessing related problems made the commercial interest for thorium to vanish. Five high temperature reactors operated on thorium fuel from 60s to the 80s (AVR, THTR, DRAGON, Peach Bottom and Fort St Vrain) Thorium-fueled reactors Thorium cycle extensively investigated in USA during the sixties. Three commercial LWRs operated on Th-235U fuels: Elk River, Indian Point-1 and Shippingport Fall of uranium prices combined with reprocessing related problems made the commercial interest for thorium to vanish. Five high temperature reactors operated on thorium fuel from 60s to the 80s (AVR, THTR, DRAGON, Peach Bottom and Fort St Vrain) Thorium cycle technology was preserved and developed in India. R1: First Swedish reactor R1 was built on KTH campus Critical in 1954 Natural metallic uranium fuel Heavy water moderator Closed in 1973 Generation I Shippingport Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Shippingport Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1955 – 1965 Shippingport Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1955 – 1965 Typical power: 50 – 200 MWe Shippingport Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1955 – 1965 Typical power: 50 – 200 MWe Examples: Shippingport Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1955 – 1965 Typical power: 50 – 200 MWe Examples: Shippingport Shippingport in USA – first commercial Pressurised Water Reactor Calder Hall Generation I First generation of commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1955 – 1965 Typical power: 50 – 200 MWe Examples: Shippingport Shippingport in USA – first commercial Pressurised Water Reactor Calder Hall in UK – Gas cooled graphite moderated reactor with Magnesium Oxide cladding for the fuel (MAGNOX-reactors) Calder Hall Generation II Forsmark Qinshan Generation II Large commercial power reactors Start of operation: 1965 – 1995 Typical power: 400 – 1400 MWe Examples: Forsmark Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) Canadian Heavy Water Reactor: CANDU Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors: AGR Qinshan Generation III Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (ABWR) Olkiluoto (EPR) Generation III Light water cooled reactors with improved safety and reliability Start of operation: 1995 Typical power: 1300 – 1700 MWe Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (ABWR) Examples: Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) European Pressurised water Reactor (EPR) Olkiluoto (EPR) Generation III+ AP1000 ESBWR Generation III+ Water cooled reactors with passive safety systems. Very low probability for core melt. Start of operation: 2013 Typical power: 1000 – 1500 MWe Examples: AP1000 Westinghouse’s Advanced Pressurised Reactor (AP1000) GE-Hitachi’s Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) ESBWR Summary • Graphite was used to slow down (moderate) neutrons in the first reactors. • Graphite is transparent for neutrons, better neutron economy than with water moderator, allowing for use of natural uranium fuel (which was the only fuel available for commercial purposes). • Uranium price increases in late 40s, interest in developing breeder reactors large. (EBR-1 first reactor to produce electricity). • Fall of uranium price made application of LWRs more feasible from commercial viewpoint. • BWR developed in Idaho by Argonne: BORAX experiments (BORAX-I blown up on purpose!). • PWR in Shippingport built on basis of submarine technology.
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